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Posted: December 3, 2008

Nanoelectronics researcher Datta receives 2008 IEEE award

(Nanowerk News) The IEEE has named Supriyo Datta recipient of the 2008 IEEE Leon K. Kirchmayer Graduate Teaching Award for his innovative approach to the complex concepts of nanoelectronics and non-equilibrium quantum statistical mechanics. Datta has spent more than 20 years teaching graduate students around the world about current flow in nanoscale devices, utilizing online contributions and webinars to make his lessons more accessible to a global audience. The IEEE is the world's leading professional association for the advancement of technology.

The IEEE Leon K. Kirchmayer Graduate Teaching Award, sponsored by the IEEE Leon K. Kirchmayer Memorial Fund, recognizes Datta for his unique approach to quantum transport that has inspired and educated graduate students in the field of nanoscale electronic devices. The award will be presented to Datta on 16 December 2008 at the IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting in San Francisco, Calif.

Datta is currently the Thomas Duncan Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue University, Indiana. His effectiveness in teaching and ability to convey esoteric concepts comes from his view that understanding of a subject is not complete until one can explain it to the non-expert. Throughout his career, Datta's teaching has been an integral part of his research - an approach that has repeatedly influenced him to develop new courses and course materials. A distinctive aspect of his style is his emphasis on critical thinking, in addition to technical problem-solving skills. He urges students not to accept any statement uncritically and to judge for themselves what is correct or worthwhile. Many of his students have gone onto successful careers in academia and industry. Datta's classroom lectures have been videotaped and made available to students around the world by the National Science Foundation-funded Network for Computational Nanotechnology. In addition, he has contributed numerous online lectures (see http://www.nanohub.org/courses/cqt for example, ), to the nanoHUB, a Website serving nearly 10,000 users per year.

An IEEE Fellow, he has received numerous awards and has authored several books. Datta received his bachelor's degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India and his doctorate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

About the IEEE

The IEEE is the world’s largest technical professional society. Through its more than 375,000 members in 160 countries, the organization is a leading authority on a wide variety of areas ranging from aerospace systems, computers and telecommunications to biomedical engineering, electric power and consumer electronics. Dedicated to the advancement of technology, the IEEE publishes 30 percent of the world’s literature in the electrical and electronics engineering and computer science fields, and has developed nearly 900 active industry standards. The organization annually sponsors more than 850 conferences worldwide. Additional information about the IEEE can be found at http://www.ieee.org.